Macon County is Thinking Thanksgiving and Sharing the Wealth

DECATUR – Not even a week after Halloween, stores are ready for Christmas -- but here in Macon County you're thinking Thanksgiving.

"This community that we live in is just so generous, its willingness to help us feed the thousands of people that are food insecure, they don't know where their next meal is coming from," says Robin Murray of the Decatur Catholic Charities. Where it was another record year for the Community Food Drive. This year the community raised 1,271,080 pounds of food/dollars.

The food, once sorted, is taken to the Catholic Charities Food Pantry to help food insecure families. The pantry is open to the public.

And even after setting another record, the community isn’t done. It's time for the Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project.

Julia Livingston of the Junior Welfare Association thinks the community does an amazing job in making the two events better each year.

"Our project happens in November, just one month after, I am always astounded that our community is so giving to give more on the heels of the food drive then to our thanksgiving basket project." she says.

"We need about 100 thousand dollars for this project, for five dollars you can feed a family of five,” Livingston adds.

For 4,000 baskets that's about $100,000.

But if donating time is what you desire, on Saturdays in November you can do that too. Ages five and up can show up to volunteer, and there is no RSVP needed.